40 Things You Never Knew About the Late Princess Diana
Lady Di was full of surprises.
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CelebrityCelebrity News40 Things You Never Knew About the Late Princess Diana40 Things You Never Knew About the Late Princess DianaLady Di was full of surprises.By Sabrina Park, Isabel GreenbergPublished: Nov 11, 2022 3:22 PM ESTBettmann//Getty ImagesPrincess Diana was a trailblazer, activist, style icon, and one of the most influential people of the 20th century. Although she lived much of her life in the spotlight, under oppressive scrutiny, there's much you probably don't know about the beloved late royal. From her favorite fashion designer and pre-royal working life to her taste in music and her parenting style, here are 40 things to remember about the People's Princess.1She was the fourth of five children.Getty ImagesPrincess Diana had two sisters, Sarah (now Lady Sarah McCorquodale) and Jane (now Lady Jane Fellowes), and a younger brother, Charles Spencer (now the Earl Spencer). Her other brother, John Spencer, died hours after his birth in January 1960, a year and a half before Diana was born.2Her parents divorced when she was 7.Getty ImagesDiana's parents, Frances Shand Kydd and Edward John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer, divorced when she was just seven years old. Diana's parents had a tumultuous relationship, and she cited cheating and physical abuse as some of the reasons for their separation.Advertisement - Continue Reading Below3Her grandmother was a lady-in-waiting to the Queen Mother.Getty ImagesDiana's maternal grandmother, Ruth Roche, Baroness Fermoy, was a lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. This meant she acted as a personal assistant and a companion. She was a close friend to the Queen and organized many of her parties. 4She grew up on the Sandringham estate leased from Queen Elizabeth.Getty ImagesSandringham House is located in Norfolk and is owned by the royal family. On the grounds is Park House, where Princess Diana's mother Frances was born in in 1936 and Diana was born in 1961. The estate is a royal family staple and Sandringham House hosts many of the family holidays.Advertisement - Continue Reading Below5She wanted to be a ballerina, but was too tall.Getty ImagesDiana studied ballet and wanted to become a professional dancer, but grew too tall to continue. Diana's ballet teacher Anne Allan opened up about her time with the princess in 2017, saying “she had dance in her soul. I realized the pure enjoyment that it gave her. She loved the freeness of being able to move and dance... I could see it helped to alleviate her emotional life."6She became Lady Diana after her father inherited a title. Getty ImagesDiana became Lady Diana Spencer in 1975, after her father inherited the title of Earl Spencer. "Lady Di" became her nickname, even after she got the title of Princess of Wales when she married Prince Charles. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below7School was not her strong suit.Getty ImagesUp until she was 9 years old, Diana was homeschooled before attending boarding school for the rest of her education. She failed her O-Level exams twice and dropped out of school when she was 16. She attended school in Switzerland for one semester before she met Prince Charles. 8She worked as a nanny and a teacher.Getty ImagesBefore she met Prince Charles and became a princess, Diana worked many odd jobs, including as a nanny and a school teacher. She was paid only $5 an hour to play with children, do laundry, and clean. She also worked as a kindergarten teacher part-time in London's Pimlico area. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below9She was the first royal bride to have a paying job.Getty ImagesWhen she married Prince Charles in 1981, Diana became the first-ever royal bride to have had a paying job ahead of her engagement to an heir. (The Duchess of Cambridge was the first royal bride to have earned a university degree.)10Prince Charles dated her older sister first.Getty ImagesDiana met her future husband through her older sister, Sarah. Prince Charles and Sarah had a fling in in the late '70s, which is how Diana first met the prince. "I introduced them. I'm Cupid," Sarah said. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below11Prince Charles dated her older sister first.Getty ImagesSarah and Diana were very close and often traveled together until the end of Diana's life. Diana said that Sarah was “the only person I know I can trust."12She was a distant cousin of Prince Charles.Getty ImagesDiana and Charles were actually distantly related. They were 16th cousins once removed, both descendants of Tudor King Henry VII.Prince William is also related to his wife Kate Middleton. They are 12th cousins once removed, related through Sir Thomas Leighton. Leighton is Prince William's 12th generation great-grandfather, and Kate's 11th. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below13She only met Prince Charles 13 times before they got married.Getty ImagesBefore they were engaged in 1981, Charles and Diana had only met about a dozen times. At the time, Diana was just 19, and Charles was 32. "They had only been t...